Aakash Nihalani

I went to school with Aakash, worked with him briefly, & the last time I saw him was 2 months ago while I was playing host to some guests from Osaka. Taking them around the East Village with Handshake (Yerbutti) & running up on Aakash in the street laying down with seasoned dexterity some colored tape on the sidewalk.

Not really having a moment to describe what he was doing amidst language-barrier introductions and not having a real reason to since it was clear to even the sidewalk, we went our separate ways. Yuki, who spoke no English, except for the word “Freedom” (which she used conservatively to be polite & definitively to describe the bat shit Americaness she saw & anything that was ridiculously massive) said after we left Aakash, “Artist.”

So, we can ask why, we can deconstruct it, intellectualize it, talk about its dualities, metaphors, transparencies, break it down into meaningful & absurd contextual wordplay but fuck it, I like it too much.

Aakash, come to my house & apply your handwork so I can bounce around like Q*bert.